A Healthy Fiber Boost

The value of a high-fiber diet keeps rising. A recent review of research on the impact of dietary fiber showed that, in addition to its role in digestive health, fiber may help reduce cholesterol and blood pressure, protect against onset of several cancers, and increase mineral bioavailability.

There are a slew of fiber ingredients available to food product developers interested in boosting the health quotientand consumer appealof their products. TruBran F80T, an oat fiber from Grain Processing Corporation, is one option. Developed to meet customer demand for healthy ingredients, the insoluble fiber has a minimum fiber content of 80% and works well in a variety of formulations.

TruBran F80T is easily incorporated in a wide variety of food and nutraceutical products, says Tonya Armstrong, senior applications scientist. It can be used in most formulations at levels to provide an excellent source of fiber5 grams per serving. The oat fiber is light-colored and has a clean flavor profile, making it a versatile addition to snacks, baked goods and other functional foods. Further, she notes, the ingredient has a water-holding capacity of 2 ml per gram, which makes it much easier to incorporate in formulations than most fiber sources."

Other oat fibers have water-holding capacities ranging from 2 to 8 ml. Formulation issues typically arise when the water-holding capacities are over 4 ml per gram. The more water a fiber holds, the more difficult it is to formulate with, Armstrong says. More water will have to be added to the formulation to hydrate the fiber, and this will affect all of the other components in the formulation. For example, with the addition of extra water, the stabilizer systems in the formulation will have to be able to hold or control the water, or the formulation will end up being too soggy or too dry.

 Like most dietary fibers, the TruBran F80T oat fiber can only be used up to a certain level in most applications without affecting the texture of the finished food product. In general, Armstrong says, the oat fiber can be used in food or nutraceutical formulations at levels ranging from 1% to 15%. In some snacks and cereals, it can be used as high as 30% to 40% of the formulation, she says.

The company has developed several prototypes with TruBran F80T, including a caramel-apple oatmeal breakfast cookie, and a raspberry bar, each with 5 grams of fiber per serving. In developing extruded puffs, Armstrong found that the oat fiber mixes easily with corn meal and flours, and flows well through the extruder. The resulting puffs provide a good source of fiber at 20% level of addition and have a clean flavor profile.

TruBran F80T oat fiber has GRAS status for use in snacks, cereals, baked goods, nutritional bars, beverages and supplements.

Grain Processing Corporation
1600 Oregon Street
Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone: 563/264-4265
Website: grainprocessing.com